If we live to tell the tale
by dracomalfoy.ck
Summary: Not pursuing this story, not even going to finish it because it sucks. no point in reading it.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

"After her! Do not let that filth get away!" A woman shrieked, and she recognized it at once. She felt sick knowing that if the woman ever caught up with her, she would be worse than dead.

From behind her, she could only make out the shadow of a hooded figure sprinting towards her, throwing curse after curse her way. Her legs slightly trembled as she had been running for a very long time, trying to escape. But she wouldn't let that get her caught. She was running for her life.

"Get back here! _Avada Kedavra_!" He screamed desperately, knowing that if he didn't catch up to her, he would probably die, his new leader thinking him not worthy of still carrying the Dark Mark. As soon as she heard the curse fly out of the masked mans mouth, she threw herself to the side, not bothering to check whether it was going in that direction since she knew that if she turned around to check, she would not have time to move out of the way. She could feel the force of the curse as it flew past her ear, missing her by inches.

She was running through Knockturn Alley, shooting stunning spells at the unidentified shadow behind her. She took her chances, pointed her 10¾" vine wood, with a dragon heartstring core wand at the Death Eater and screamed "_Stupefy_!" and hit him squarely at the center of his chest. She stopped running and panted, putting her hands on her knees and catching her breath when a green flash illuminated the alley way, temporarily blinding her before her eyes regained focus. Once again, using the reflexes she had gotten from running from Death Eaters with Harry and Ron a couple of months ago, she jumped to the side, watching a slither of green running past her eyes. She quickly looked at her attacker, and terror quickly filled up in her body, leaving her heart pounding with fear. In her long black robes, wild and stringy black hair, grinning like a madman and her hungry, hollow black eyes stood the figure of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"You won't run away from me this time! _Crucio_!" she cackled, her laugh a sick, malicious ring that was hidden behind joy. "You deserve what you get, you _filthy_ Mudblood!"

Again, she started running, her wild brown hair bouncing on her back. Her chocolate eyes were wide open and eager, looking for a place to hide. "_Stupefy_! _Expelliarmus_!" she screamed as she turned back around, running into a road with three paths. Quickly deciding, she went down the third one, making an abrupt turn which nearly made Bellatrix run into the brick wall. "Get back you Mudblood! _Crucio_! _CRUCIO_!" Bellatrix grew impatient. She wanted to watch the little Mudblood squirm underneath her, getting what she deserved. The spells had completely missed her, so she kept on running down the path. Bellatrix screamed in fury, raging as she ran after the girl. She turned to point her wand at Bellatrix again, trying to scream out more curses. "_Petrificus Totalus_! _Locomotor Mortis_!" With the latter spell, she hit Bellatrix Lestrange on her right upper thigh. It instantly locked, which caused her to trip and fall on the stone floor with a loud _thud._ Her wand was knocked out of her hands, landing only inches away from her hand.

Bellatrix looked up, to see that the Mudblood had stopped to stare at her. Bellatrix looked around, her eyes setting down greedily on her wand. If she reached for it, she could finally take the Mudblood and torture her for hours on end, with not a care in the world. She grinned at the thought, and went to retrieve it. She noticed that she could easily reach it; she only needed to stretch out and maybe push a bit on her knees, to move across the concrete.

Realizing that Bellatrix was about to grab her wand, she pointed her own at the bony woman, aiming to knock it further away so that she couldn't do anything to harm Hermione. Once she caught Bellatrix, she'd paralyze her and apparate near Grimmauld Place, hoping the Order would finally bring justice to the madwoman. But before she could put her plan to action, a strong and wide hand reached over her mouth, pulling her into another alley way.

She felt a small kiss down her spine as the hand that had grabbed her was cold. She squirmed as she was slammed into a tall wall of flesh, trying to uncover the hand from her mouth. Her wand was taken out of her hand roughly as she felt herself getting pulled to a strong, masculine body.

"Granger, stop moving this instant!" she felt the hot breath trickle down from her ear to her neck as she was getting pulled further and further down the alley. She was sure she had heard this voice before, but now it was a huskier, deeper voice. Even though she slightly recognized the voice, she couldn't quite put a face to it. Where had she heard it before? And how had he known her name?

She still squirmed, frightened of the person who had grabbed her and pulled her away from the alley where Bellatrix had lay.

She felt the hand move away from her mouth, but before she could move, another one slithered around her waist. She looked down at it as she looked for a way to free herself from it. She took his arm and tried to push it away from her body, but it wouldn't budge. He tilted his head and put his mouth near her ear, making her shiver as a light sensation ran through her body. Why was she feeling like this in a situation that might be her death? She had always felt this when she was with Ron, and it always made her feel like she was near pure bliss.

"Granger, if you don't stop now your going to get us both killed. I would let you go but you might run away. But if you really want to die, I'd take the pleasure in killing you myself. So, are you going to stay here and be a good girl?" he hissed into her ear, feeling her shiver under him whenever his breath tickled her ear. Good.

"Who are you?" she retorted, her Gryffindor courage trying to cover the fact that she was scared of the intentions of the man who held her captive.

Typical. Even in the scariest situations, she still put on a brave face. But then again, that was one of the things he liked about her. She didn't show her fear for the minor things. She acted brave.

Groaning, he pulled her closer to him. He loved teasing her like this, even if it wasn't much, he knew that she would be flipping out.

"I think you know who I am, Granger. Don't tell me you've forgotten? Now that's too bad. How about I teach you?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his pale blonde hair whisk out infront of him as he moved, then fall back. That hair was unmistakable, and could only belong to one person. Finally realizing who he was, she gasped and a hand flew to her mouth.

"Granger, I take it you finally figured out who I am. Now if you're good, you're going to listen to everything that I say, okay?" He sneered, kissing the sensitive spot near the back of her ear.

"Get off of me, you stupid git!"

"Mmmm….No" He chuckled, breathing back into her ear. A tingle shivered throughtout her body and she shivered.

She snapped back to reality. She was very happy where she was with Ron, and he was her best friend and boyfriend in one. He treated her like a princess, and satisfied her like one as well. He was also loyal, so she never had to worry about him running off with anybody else. Speaking of which, where was he?

"_Ron! Come here for a second, I think I see… what is that?" Her voice shook at the latter part, dread quickly filling her body._

"_Hermione, run. Now," he whispered back, slowly taking out his wand as he looked closer to inspect the shadows._

"_Ron, stop! It's dangerous!"She whispered, now frantic._

"_Hello? Who's there?" Ron called out, leaning down and moving slightly forward to see what the faint outline was, when a shriek echoed through Knockturn Alley._

"_HELP ME PLEASE, I'VE BEEN KIDNA-"The rest off the woman's sentence was drowned out by her scream, and a hoarse laugh that rang through their ears._

_They both started running towards the sound, eager to help the person who was being held captive. As they ran through Diagon Alley to get to Knockturn Alley, they didn't even notice that they didn't run into or see anybody on the way there._

_As soon as they entered Knockturn Alley, they could see the drastic change. Instead of the clean, bright surroundings of Diagon Alley, they were surrounded by dark and high brick walls that caved in, making you feel claustrophobic._

_As they rounded a corner, they started to hear the faint voice of a man, gradually becoming louder as they got closer to the source of the dying down screams._

_Hermione and Ron froze when they saw him. The man to the far right stood pointing his wand at something they couldn't see, cackling. He wore a black cloak with a hood covering his face. He shifted his gaze off of the woman in pain, and turned instead to Hermione and Ron. His face covered by a mask. But that could only mean…_

_No. I mean they were all supposed to be in Azkaban! There was no way this man could possibly be a...a... Death Eater, could he?_

"_Oh, I see I have a bit of an audience. Enjoying yourselves, Granger and Weasley?" he had already stopped torturing the woman. "Well then, I think that this should keep you on the edge of your seat. Avad-" but before he could continue, Hermione had disarmed him and Ron snapped out of his trance and caught his wand._

_"You don't want to do anything, girly" he sneered._

_Hermione was boiling with rage. Who the hell did he think he was? He opened his mouth for the second time, but Hermione didn't want to hear it. She yelled "Stupefy!" before the man flew back into the air and slammed against an old shop._

_Hermione looked around, checking there was no one else, then glanced at Ron. He turned to look at her too, before they turned around, running, to get out of Knockturn Alley, before coming face to face with more than a dozen Death Eaters. How had they gotten out of Azkaban? Weren't they supposed to be gone after the fall of the Dark Lord?_

_Before Hermione knew what was happening, Ron had pulled her away, sprinting as far as possible from the Death Eaters._

"_Hermione! Come on, can you Apparate us out of here?" Ron panted, but still ran at full speed with Hermione, around the corners and down the paths from the dark alleys._

_She turned on the spot, but found she couldn't Apparate. What the hell was going on?_

"_Ron, I can't! They've placed protective charms around here, so they're the only ones who can. How do we get out?"_

"_Hermione, run as fast as you can and don't turn back"_

"_Ron, what do you-"_

"_GO! NOW!" He bellowed, as Hermione whimpered slightly._

_As soon as Ron said this, 5 Death Eaters appeared out of the corner, and Hermione ran down the nearest path, throwing curses down at the 3 Death Eaters that followed her. She knocked two of them down with two stunning spells, leaving one chasing after her. Then she heard the scream that wouldn't ever leave her thoughts in peace._

_"After her! Do not let that filth get away!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Granger, if I was you in this situation, I'd be quiet before somebody finds us" he whispered into her ear.

"And just why should I trust _you?" _She snapped.

"Why, do you want me to turn you in? Because I can and I will if you don't stop moving and shut your mouth!" he snapped back, his words getting louder and louder as he continued. "I'm doing this for my own reasons, and you don't need to know why," he replied, his voice gradually turning to a whisper she strained to hear.

"Miss Lestrange… my… w-what are you doing h-here?" she heard an unsure voice ask, as if afraid of what he was saying.

"What do you think I am doing here?"

"I…uh, I me-meant, where is the girl?" he replied, his voice now quivering, fear now obvious.

"That little Mudblood? Someone pulled her out of the way. Gather all the other men and…" from then on she couldn't hear what Bellatrix was saying, and now pressed a bit forward, unaware for a second that she was in the arms of the one and only Draco Malfoy. "Do _not_ come back empty handed, understand?" she said viciously, acting so calm it was scarier than when she had been screaming. Actually, nothing about Bellatrix Lestrange _didn't _scare the bushy haired teenager, now getting squeezed slightly tighter as Draco was straining to hear what Bellatrix was planning.

"Yes, sure ma'am. I will gather them right away," he said, now clearly. What was going on?

She heard the _pop_'s of Apparition, but not long before "We found the Mudblood! Over here!"

Hermione and Draco quickly whipped there heads around, only to see to Death Eaters staring at them. Panic flooded her thoughts, and knew what Bellatrix was referring to when she was talking to the other Death Eater. Handing Hermione her wand, Draco pointed his own wand back at one of the Death Eaters and screamed "_Stupefy!_" before blasting the Death Eater of his feet as he landed on the hard concrete with a crash.

"_Confundo!"_ Hermione pointed her own wand and screamed the spell at the other Death Eater before he was able to react to them, leaving him confused and wondering around in a daze, unsure of what he was doing, and why he was there.

"Nice job, see all that training during the war helped with your reflexes Granger," he told her, a blush threatening to creep onto her cheeks. When she remained silent, he smirked. Still holding a grudge from hen they were little?

Hermione started to wak along the path quickly, and Draco followed. Suddenly, Hermione's mind wandered and she remembered something she should have thought of a long time ago.

"I'm going" she said suddenly, leaving Malfoy on the spot.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, confused at her sudden out burst.

"None of your business," she said quickly, not wanting to deal with him any longer.

"Since I saved you, I think it's my business if you're going to get yourself killed. My efforts will not be wasted," he snarled.

"Hermione. Hermione, stop walking for a moment" Draco put his hands on her arms, trying to make her stop from disappearing again.

"Malfoy, get your hand off of me!" she whispered loudly and not so nicely. This was going to be fun.

"Just tell me where your going and _maybe_ I'll let you go," he teased, trying to get her upset. It seemed to be working. She turned her head, looking everywhere but at him.

"I'm going to look for someone. Now get your hands off of me. _Right now,"_ she hissed, and if looks could kill he would have been killed instantly.

"Who? _Won Won? _Or is it Scar-face? Wouldn't mind seeing them after so long" he chuckled darkly, and leaned in closer to her. "Let's face it, _Hermione. _You wouldn't last another two seconds out there without me, and you won't find whoever your looking for. You need me and you know it," he said, no sneering at her.

"_Fine, _do whatever you want, but you are not helping me. You are simply following me, since I can't get rid of you. And I'll be needing my wand, thank you very much," she added, now staring at him. She wasn't going to back down, if thats what he expected.

"Mmm, okay. But I'm not doing this because you told me to, but because I want to," he quickly agreed, mentally slapping himself. She was going to be the death of him.

"So just who are we looking for? Potter or the Weasel?" he sneered, looking down at her.

"_I_ am looking for Ron, my boyfriend," she snapped back. She didn't care what he thought, it was the truth.

"Boyfriend? Why I can't say I didn't see this coming, but _Weasley? _I would've thought you had much better...taste in boys," he said, his nose scrunching up in disgust.

"Sod off Malfoy," she replied quietly, anger boiling inside of her.

He held his arms up as if surrending and chuckled at her. Hermione rolled her eyes and kept on walking, now at a faster pace.

_"_Don't you have anything better to do Malfoy?" She spat at him. He was a disgusting prick who needed to get over himself.

"Actually, yes. But this looked interesting, so I decided to follow you and see everything unravel," he replied casually, as if observing the weather.

"She's _got_ to be here somewhere! Who else would stun those two ogres?" Bellatrix shrieked, referring to the two Death Eaters. She was only around the corner, and they didn't have enough time to run.

Draco muttered "_Petrificus Totalus_" before putting a disillusionment charm on her, as to hide her from Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione remained wide eyed, mostly in disbelief. She had trusted him for two seconds before he freely handed her over to the insane woman now approaching.

She felt like beating herself up. How could she have lowered her guard?

As Bellatrix turned the corner and glared at Malfoy, Hermione thought that Bellatrix could hear the sound of her heart beating a thousand miles per hour. Bellatrix tilted her head to the side, and Hermione didn't know how it was possible that Bellatrix could widen her eyes even more, glaring at Malfoy. She walked slowly towards Malfoy, an innocent look playing across her face.

"O, Draco, I wasn't expecting you. And just what are you doing here?" she said innocently, glaring daggers at him.

Thanking himself for being such a smooth liar after lying to girl after girl and thinking of lies on the spot had finally paid off all those years, he said "I was just going to Borgin and Burkes to get some items for mother. Would you like to accompany me?" Hermione tensed. What was he doing?

"No, I have some business to attend. Have you seen the Granger girl? She goes to your school I think," she stated, knowing full well that Hermione had indeed attended Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Aunt Bella, you know that if I had seen her, she would be as good as dead," he sneered, adding a hiss in every syllable. He could not let his aunt know that he was actually pulsing fear through his veins this very moment.

"Okay. If you do find her, take her into Borgin and Burkes," she said quickly, eager to find the girl. "But be quick and Apparate there, it will be much quicker"

"Bye, Aunt Bella," he smiled and she stare at him suspiciously. She stood rooted on the spot and hesitantly turned around, still staring at him. She found herself silly fr suspecting her own nephew and turned completely with her head up in the air, marching off with her wand grasped tightly in her hand. He sighed, thanking all that was holy that he had lied without a slip up.

He un-petrified Hermione and took the disillusionment charm off of her, and she stood there stupidly.

"Are you just going to stand there?" he asked, a smile playing across his lips. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, before taking off to look for Ron.

They walked in the opposite direction of which they saw Bellatrix, trying to get away as fast as possible from the evil witch. Hermione was running because she also wanted to know where Ron was, and would not rest until she found him. Where could they have taken him?

"So, by any chance, do you have any clue where the Weasel could be?" he asked, turning around and checking for any other Death Eaters. Why were they still around? He thought they had all fallen or had simply turned good when the Dark Lord disappeared. He refused to speak of his name, since it deserved no respect. He brought evil into this world, tortured the nicest people and played his own mind games with his most faithful and loyal servants. But most of all, he had power and control. Everywhere he went, people feared him. No one dared detest him, and if they did, it was an instant death.

Hermione gulped before giving her answer. He knew he wouldn't be happy with her response, but she didn't care. She lifted her head and held it up high, trying to show that she was confident and had made her decision.

"Actually, no, I don't. But I will not rest until I find him," she spoke calmly but firmly, firm in her decision.

"Granger, we will find him, later. Now, we need to get out of here before we get killed. Lay out all your bloody options and see what we could to help save the Weasel. Nothing. So Disapparate our bloody arses out of here before I kill you myself," he hissed, stinging her with every word.

It was true, she didn't have a plan at the moment, but she wouldn't give up easily. She didn't care if she had to look for him by herself, she didn't care about Malfoy at all anyway. What difference would it make?

"Go and save yourself, Malfoy, but I am sure as hell not a coward, and I will go and search for my boyfriend. You are not going to stop me, so either you come with me or save your own arse. Which one will it be, _Malfoy?"_ she asked, responding calmly, even though she was boiling with rage inside.

"I can easily Disapparate you away from here," he stated, not really speaking to her but more to himself.

"And if you do that, I'll just come back here," she replied coolly.

He turned again to look around, then back at her, his grey eyes staring down into her brown ones to try and make her nervous. But she wouldn't budge. He sighed, realizing that the choice he was about to make might be the most regrettable thing he had ever decided on when he said "Fine, but only 10 minutes. And do not _smirk_ at me Granger," he sneered, trying to control his voice. What in the ruddy hell was he doing? He was making a stupid decision, all for her? But after all, he did love her.

"Fine, but you can get out of here if you want. Nobody expects you to stay, you are a coward after all, always have been," she said, her expression still the same. Him? A coward, now? He would never admit that. Not to her. He stared at her and nodded slightly, and she lifted her head and started to walk off. He scoffed lightly and followed her.

As they made their way down to the point that Hermione had in mind, turning through dark and suspicious alleys, covered with grease and had a gloomy effect that would usually make someone depressed, a question had popped up in her head.

"Malfoy?"

"That's me Granger,"

"I was wondering, why did you decide to help me? I mean before" she asked curiously, watching his face change from bored to plain confusion. He wasn't quite sure of the answer himself. Why did he decide to help her? His mind was spinning with thoughts, and it made him slightly dizzy. He couldn't quite put it into words; but he felt that he should do it. He didn't want to run into his aunt again, and he didn't want Hermione to get captured either. Wait, why did he care? She could be dead and he wouldn't care. But no, here he was, worried for her safety. Maybe he was going mad, thinking through all the things that had happened in the past might play a major part in that.

_He walked down the hardly lit corridor, his heart threatening to rip out his body. He kept his pace, listening to the usual clink of his father's walking stick._ _It was an ornamental cane that was embedded in tiny silver stones, and the cane itself was coated in shiny black lacquer. At the top of the cane was a silver snake head, which has crystal green eyes, the snake head being the handle of his wand, which was safely tucked in the cane. Lucius was nervous, as he did not know the outcome and what the consequences were if his son failed him. He feared for his life. For his wife's', and his sons._

_When they were halfway down the hall, his father spoke. Draco recognized what he was saying, as he had heard it many times before in his Fathers desperation for Draco to remember and not do anything out of order._

"_Draco, you will try your best to please him. Only speak when you are spoken to, and speak his name with the respect he deserves. You will not detest him and you will do as you are told. When saying his name, you will bow slightly. Do not get yourself into a situation you cannot get out of, and you will _absolutely _not bring any shame to our family. Understand?" his Father spoke, putting on a brave face as to not show Draco how truly afraid he was of the outcome._

_As they reached the end of the hall, Draco was now breathing quickly afraid of what might happen in the room that would change his fate. Had Draco really even wanted this?_

_Lucius knocked on the door precisely seven times before an ear piercing voice came through the other side._

"_Come in, Lucius"_

_Draco and his father stepped in. Draco knew that when he stepped out of the room, if he survived, his life would be different forever._


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 2**

"Granger, if I was you in this situation, I'd be quiet before somebody finds us" he whispered into her ear.

"And just why should I trust _you?" _She snapped.

"Why, do you want me to turn you in? Because I can and I will if you don't stop moving and shut your mouth!" he snapped back, his words getting louder and louder as he continued. "I'm doing this for my own reasons, and you don't need to know why," he replied, his voice gradually turning to a whisper she strained to hear.

"Miss Lestrange… my… w-what are you doing h-here?" she heard an unsure voice ask, as if afraid of what he was saying.

"What do you think I am doing here?"

"I…uh, I me-meant, where is the girl?" he replied, his voice now quivering, fear now obvious.

"That little Mudblood? Someone pulled her out of the way. Gather all the other men and…" from then on she couldn't hear what Bellatrix was saying, and now pressed a bit forward, unaware for a second that she was in the arms of the one and only Draco Malfoy. "Do _not_ come back empty handed, understand?" she questioned, daring him to refuse. She was acting so calm it was scarier than when she had been screaming. Actually, nothing about Bellatrix Lestrange _didn't _scare the bushy haired teenager, now getting squeezed slightly tighter as Draco was straining to hear what Bellatrix was planning.

"Yes, sure ma'am. I will gather them right away," he said, now clearly. What was going on?

She heard the _pop_'s of Apparition, but not long before "We found the Mudblood! Over here!"

Hermione and Draco quickly whipped there heads around, only to see to Death Eaters staring at them. Panic flooded her thoughts, and knew what Bellatrix was referring to when she was talking to the other Death Eater. Handing Hermione her wand, Draco pointed his own wand back at one of the Death Eaters and screamed "_Stupefy!_" before blasting the Death Eater of his feet as he landed on the hard concrete with a crash.

"_Confundo!"_ Hermione pointed her own wand and screamed the spell at the other Death Eater before he was able to react to them, leaving him confused and wondering around in a daze, unsure of what he was doing, and why he was there.

"Nice job, see all that training during the war helped with your reflexes Granger," he told her, a blush threatening to creep onto her cheeks. When she remained silent, he smirked. Still holding a grudge from hen they were little?

Hermione started to wak along the path quickly, and Draco followed. Suddenly, Hermione's mind wandered and she remembered something she should have thought of a long time ago.

"I'm going" she said suddenly, leaving Malfoy on the spot.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, confused at her sudden out burst.

"None of your business," she said quickly, not wanting to deal with him any longer.

"Since I saved you, I think it's my business if you're going to get yourself killed. My efforts will not be wasted," he snarled.

"Hermione. Hermione, stop walking for a moment" Draco put his hands on her arms, trying to make her stop from disappearing again.

"Malfoy, get your hand off of me!" she whispered loudly and not so nicely. This was going to be fun.

"Just tell me where your going and _maybe_ I'll let you go," he teased, trying to get her upset. It seemed to be working. She turned her head, looking everywhere but at him.

"I'm going to look for someone. Now get your hands off of me. _Right now,"_ she hissed, and if looks could kill he would have been killed instantly.

"Who? _Won Won? _Or is it Scar-face? Wouldn't mind seeing them after so long" he chuckled darkly, and leaned in closer to her. "Let's face it, _Hermione. _You wouldn't last another two seconds out there without me, and you won't find whoever your looking for. You need me and you know it," he said, no sneering at her.

"_Fine, _do whatever you want, but you are not helping me. You are simply following me, since I can't get rid of you. And I'll be needing my wand, thank you very much," she added, now staring at him. She wasn't going to back down, if thats what he expected.

"Mmm, okay. But I'm not doing this because you told me to, but because I want to," he quickly agreed, mentally slapping himself. She was going to be the death of him.

"So just who are we looking for? Potter or the Weasel?" he sneered, looking down at her.

"_I_ am looking for Ron, my boyfriend," she snapped back. She didn't care what he thought, it was the truth.

"Boyfriend? Why I can't say I didn't see this coming, but _Weasley? _I would've thought you had much better...taste in boys," he said, his nose scrunching up in disgust.

"Sod off Malfoy," she replied quietly, anger boiling inside of her.

He held his arms up as if surrending and chuckled at her. Hermione rolled her eyes and kept on walking, now at a faster pace.

_"_Don't you have anything better to do Malfoy?" She spat at him. He was a disgusting prick who needed to get over himself.

"Actually, yes. But this looked interesting, so I decided to follow you and see everything unravel," he replied casually, as if observing the weather.

"She's _got_ to be here somewhere! Who else would stun those two ogres?" Bellatrix shrieked, referring to the two Death Eaters. She was only around the corner, and they didn't have enough time to run.

Draco muttered "_Petrificus Totalus_" before putting a disillusionment charm on her, as to hide her from Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione remained wide eyed, mostly in disbelief. She had trusted him for two seconds before he freely handed her over to the insane woman now approaching.

She felt like beating herself up. How could she have lowered her guard?

As Bellatrix turned the corner and glared at Malfoy, Hermione thought that Bellatrix could hear the sound of her heart beating a thousand miles per hour. Bellatrix tilted her head to the side, and Hermione didn't know how it was possible that Bellatrix could widen her eyes even more, glaring at Malfoy. She walked slowly towards Malfoy, an innocent look playing across her face.

"O, Draco, I wasn't expecting you. And just what are you doing here?" she said innocently, glaring daggers at him.

Thanking himself for being such a smooth liar after lying to girl after girl and thinking of lies on the spot had finally paid off all those years, he said "I was just going to Borgin and Burkes to get some items for mother. Would you like to accompany me?" Hermione tensed. What was he doing?

"No, I have some business to attend. Have you seen the Granger girl? She goes to your school I think," she stated, knowing full well that Hermione had indeed attended Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Aunt Bella, you know that if I had seen her, she would be as good as dead," he sneered, adding a hiss in every syllable. He could not let his aunt know that he was actually pulsing fear through his veins this very moment.

"Okay. If you do find her, take her into Borgin and Burkes," she said quickly, eager to find the girl. "But be quick and Apparate there, it will be much quicker"

"Bye, Aunt Bella," he smiled and she stare at him suspiciously. She stood rooted on the spot and hesitantly turned around, still staring at him. She found herself silly fr suspecting her own nephew and turned completely with her head up in the air, marching off with her wand grasped tightly in her hand. He sighed, thanking all that was holy that he had lied without a slip up.

He un-petrified Hermione and took the disillusionment charm off of her, and she stood there stupidly.

"Are you just going to stand there?" he asked, a smile playing across his lips. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, before taking off to look for Ron.

They walked in the opposite direction of which they saw Bellatrix, trying to get away as fast as possible from the evil witch. Hermione was running because she also wanted to know where Ron was, and would not rest until she found him. Where could they have taken him?

"So, by any chance, do you have any clue where the Weasel could be?" he asked, turning around and checking for any other Death Eaters. Why were they still around? He thought they had all fallen or had simply turned good when the Dark Lord disappeared. He refused to speak of his name, since it deserved no respect. He brought evil into this world, tortured the nicest people and played his own mind games with his most faithful and loyal servants. But most of all, he had power and control. Everywhere he went, people feared him. No one dared detest him, and if they did, it was an instant death.

Hermione gulped before giving her answer. He knew he wouldn't be happy with her response, but she didn't care. She lifted her head and held it up high, trying to show that she was confident and had made her decision.

"Actually, no, I don't. But I will not rest until I find him," she spoke calmly but firmly, firm in her decision.

"Granger, we will find him, later. Now, we need to get out of here before we get killed. Lay out all your bloody options and see what we could to help save the Weasel. Nothing. So Disapparate our bloody arses out of here before I kill you myself," he hissed, stinging her with every word.

It was true, she didn't have a plan at the moment, but she wouldn't give up easily. She didn't care if she had to look for him by herself, she didn't care about Malfoy at all anyway. What difference would it make?

"Go and save yourself, Malfoy, but I am sure as hell not a coward, and I will go and search for my boyfriend. You are not going to stop me, so either you come with me or save your own arse. Which one will it be, _Malfoy?"_ she asked, responding calmly, even though she was boiling with rage inside.

"I can easily Disapparate you away from here," he stated, not really speaking to her but more to himself.

"And if you do that, I'll just come back here," she replied coolly.

He turned again to look around, then back at her, his grey eyes staring down into her brown ones to try and make her nervous. But she wouldn't budge. He sighed, realizing that the choice he was about to make might be the most regrettable thing he had ever decided on when he said "Fine, but only 10 minutes. And do not _smirk_ at me Granger," he sneered, trying to control his voice. What in the ruddy hell was he doing? He was making a stupid decision, all for her? But after all, he did love her.

"Fine, but you can get out of here if you want. Nobody expects you to stay, you are a coward after all, always have been," she said, her expression still the same. Him? A coward, now? He would never admit that. Not to her. He stared at her and nodded slightly, and she lifted her head and started to walk off. He scoffed lightly and followed her.

As they made their way down to the point that Hermione had in mind, turning through dark and suspicious alleys, covered with grease and had a gloomy effect that would usually make someone depressed, a question had popped up in her head.

"Malfoy?"

"That's me Granger,"

"I was wondering, why did you decide to help me? I mean before" she asked curiously, watching his face change from bored to plain confusion. He wasn't quite sure of the answer himself. Why did he decide to help her? His mind was spinning with thoughts, and it made him slightly dizzy. He couldn't quite put it into words; but he felt that he should do it. He didn't want to run into his aunt again, and he didn't want Hermione to get captured either. Wait, why did he care? She could be dead and he wouldn't care. But no, here he was, worried for her safety. Maybe he was going mad, thinking through all the things that had happened in the past might play a major part in that.

_He walked down the hardly lit corridor, his heart threatening to rip out his body. He kept his pace, listening to the usual clink of his father's walking stick._ _It was an ornamental cane that was embedded in tiny silver stones, and the cane itself was coated in shiny black lacquer. At the top of the cane was a silver snake head, which has crystal green eyes, the snake head being the handle of his wand, which was safely tucked in the cane. Lucius was nervous, as he did not know the outcome and what the consequences were if his son failed him. He feared for his life. For his wife's', and his sons._

_When they were halfway down the hall, his father spoke. Draco recognized what he was saying, as he had heard it many times before in his Fathers desperation for Draco to remember and not do anything out of order._

"_Draco, you will try your best to please him. Only speak when you are spoken to, and speak his name with the respect he deserves. You will not detest him and you will do as you are told. When saying his name, you will bow slightly. Do not get yourself into a situation you cannot get out of, and you will _absolutely _not bring any shame to our family. Understand?" his Father spoke, putting on a brave face as to not show Draco how truly afraid he was of the outcome._

_As they reached the end of the hall, Draco was now breathing quickly afraid of what might happen in the room that would change his fate. Had Draco really even wanted this?_

_Lucius knocked on the door precisely seven times before an ear piercing voice came through the other side._

"_Come in, Lucius"_

_Draco and his father stepped in. Draco knew that when he stepped out of the room, if he survived, his life would be different forever._


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

No one had even realized that Draco Malfoy had already left and was sitting on his couch, reminiscing through his thoughts and trying to forget all of the past events of that day. Why in the world had he stopped her from getting captured? He guessed it must of been because it would only bring back the memories he wanted to forget. When the Golden Trio were being held captive in his house, he had done nothing to save them. He couldn't get his body to move. Although he despised them, he couldn't handle it. He had known them since he was only eleven years of age, and the glares they made sure he saw made him feel guilty.

Of course, Potter, the hero that everybody sucked up to, had saved him from a fire that Crabbe had stupidly set off and hadn't been able to put off and had gotten himself killed, but that was different, somehow.

What he had dreaded the most had actually happened. His Aunt saw him near the girl she had been desperately trying to imprison, and Disapparating with said person. He put his head in his hands and ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the beads of sweat on his forehead. He decided it was getting a bit too hot, even though it was only seventeen degrees in the house. With a flick of his wand, he put out the fire and made his way to his bedroom.

He was now going to continue to live in his godfather's old home, as it was protected by the Fedilius charm and no one knew about it except for him and Draco himself. It wasn't very cozy, but it was decent enough to live in. Draco couldn't return to the Manor anymore. There was no way he would get himself killed. He just hoped that nobody had harmed his Mother, or she had at least managed to escape. His stomach sank at the thought that he didn't even check on his Mother, when right now she could be... He didn't even want to think about the endless possibilities. He hurriedly slammed his door open and rushed through to his bathroom, slipping onto the floor. He had no time to be graceful right now. He landed hardly on the floor, the compact of the white tiles hitting against the bones on the side of his hip and thigh. He quickly crawled up and opened the doors to the cabinet underneath his sink, and his long slender fingers latched onto a small box. He pulled it out and roughly opened it, revealing an emerald stone, and he grasped it, holding it tightly in his hand. He went over to his bed and sat on it, concentrating. If this was going to work, he didn't need any distractions. He held the object in his hand, thinking of only his Mother.

While at the Manor in her bedroom, Narcissa Malfoy had no clue as of what was going on. She sat on the edge of her bed, as still as a statue and staring at the wall in front of her, her gaze not lingering. She wondered whether her sister had completed the mission that had been given out by the Dark Lord, wondering why he had given this out in front of everybody at he table. Every single Death Eater had been summoned by the Mark, told that this meeting was urgent. When they had arrived, they had a brief discussion about the whereabouts of the Potter boy and where he had been. Then, Severus Snape had given vital information about where the boy would be staying and the means of transport on his seventeenth birthday. The Dark Lord accepted this, not at all suspicious of his loyal follower. The former teacher of Hogwarts had been floating atop of the table, pleading with Severus, but he gave her no thought. Green light emitted the room, and the body of Charity Burbage crashed onto the wooden table, vibrating the peoples hand atop of it. "Dinner, Nagini," he said, while his face expression hadn't changed, he didn't even do so much as flinch, nor did he seem to care that young Malfoy had fallen out of his seat.

_Silence echoed through the room, not one of the Death Eaters daring to speak while not spoken to. The Dark Lord broke the silence by offering a mission to Bellatrix that she and other Death Eaters were to capture Granger and Weasley._

_"Yes, of course my Lord," she said, not containing the excitement in her voice. "You know I will never refuse any of your offers."_

_"Why of course, Bellatrix. I do not have my doubts," Voldemort said smoothly, but tonelessly. "Although, if you are to fail, which I do not begin to ponder, there will be sheer consequences," he added, hissing each 's'. The hisses rang throughout the room, ringing through everyone's ears. Some took to covering their ears, while others trembled slightly. _

_"Of course, my Lord," Bellatrix agreed, looking down the table to glance at her fellow Death Eaters, her mind scrambling through the options. "My Lord, if you agree, I would like to have the company of Yaxley, Greyback, Crabbe Sr and Goyle Sr, Dolohov and Macnair."_

_She looked up into Voldemort's eyes, as if pleading. He looked around the table at the eight men, who he believed to be a reasonable choice. His gaze fell upon the youngest Malfoy, and he stared at him in curiosity. Draco did not look at him, but could feel his eyes on the side of his head. He tried his hardest not to shiver, or make sudden movements to admit that he was scared. He was seated back in his chair by now, and he stared at the opposite wall, trying to focus on the paint that was starting to peel off, but found the nerves still fluttering in his stomach._

_Voldemort studied him carefully, watching as tiny beads of sweat were forming ever so slowly around his face. The corners of his lips twitched, but so slightly that nobody even noticed. Bellatrix was growing impatient and weary at the sudden attention that the Lord seemed to be giving her nephew. He did nothing, compared to what she did. She felt jealousy pour into her, coursing through her veins and her heart pounding in her chest. Voldemort shifted his attention back to her, and she felt her heart flutter. _

_"Well, Bellatrix," Voldemort started, eyes locking onto hers. "Why not take the young boy? Won't it be good enough training for him?" he asked, shifting his gaze from Draco to Bellatrix. Bellatrix leaned back into her chair, looking slightly taken aback. The boy? No! She loved him dearly, but she could not take him to something as important as this. No._

_"I'm sorry, my Lord? The boy?" she replied, anxiously looking at him. "I can't take him. He mightn't be able to do it, my Lord. To kill." _

_"But this is good enough training, though. We need him prepared for what is to come," he told her, slightly amused._

_"But-"_

_"Fine," he snapped, silencing her immediately. "He will not go with you. But he is to leave the room immediately."_

_Draco glanced nervously at his Father, but saw he hadn't even been paying him attention. He breathed in two times before standing up and bowing respectfully, and forcing his feet to slow down as he left the room._

* * *

><p>Narcissa remained on the bed, but was now watching her memories with her eyes shut, as if watching them like a movie behind her eyelids. Her eyes fluttered open when she felt a tingling burn on her left wrist, just below the Mark. She knew what it was instantly, and without another bat of an eyelid, she stormed off intothe bathroom and opened the cabinet under the sink, reaching in to retrieve a tiny little box.<p>

* * *

><p>Draco paced anxiously, getting even more worried. He hoped that she was alright. This was the only form of communication they could have if any of them were in trouble, and was only to be used in emergencies. Of course, there were other emeralds stationed in other places, but this one was for a situation like this. How the hell could he have been so stupid? And why the hell did he get the Mudblood away from there? Fuck, this was stupid. He was stupid. The fucking world was stupid. He wondered whether he was on the brink of insanity, when he reminded himself there was no way a person like him could ever go near such madness. Not like that Looney Lovegood girl anyway.<p>

Went he felt the tingle of a burn on his wrist, he took the box back into his hands and opened the base. Underneath, lay a tiny mirror. It allowed the communicator to hear what was going on, and in the reflection you can see their surroundings, depending on where they pointed the mirror.

On the other side, he saw the features of his Mother come to life, as if a tiny part of her was in the room. He looked around her as much as he could, making sure to check if there was anybody else there, and when there was no sign of any other being, he sighed and chuckled a shaky laugh. His Mothers face became calm as she smiled back at him, relief flooding her eyes. He sat himself on the edge of his bed and stared into the mirror, a question ready to roll off the tip of his tongue. But his mother had the same idea.

"Mother, are you-

"Draco, what is-

They both stopped talking, insisting on letting the other go first. When none of them spoke, Narcissa parted her lips slightly, and when she saw Draco make no indication of speaking, she coughed, clearing her throat.

"Draco, what is the matter?" She asked, now her voice calmer.

"Nothing, Mother. I just wanted to check whether Aunt Bella had came back home and-

"Wait a second. Why would you be wondering about that, Draco?" she questioned, glaring at him. He knew that it would be worthless to get out of this one now, but he still tried to escape the topic.

"I was merely... curious," he breathed, trying to contain his voice. It was working so far. "I heard that she was going on a quest that was ordered by the Dark Lord and just wanted to know whether today was that day."

"Yes, but why ask whether she had come back? She'd have had to leave from here, with you knowing. Unless, you spotted her?" She asked, her voice growing stronger with shock. Why would Draco be where Bella was? Draco stayed silent for a few moments, staring into his Mothers eyes until he couldn't anymore. He had always shared his secrets with her, she was the only person he could trust completely.

"Mother, don't be upset, but I-" he said, breaking off at the end so that he could word this properly. "I was curious when I saw Aunt Bella enter Knockturn Alley with the other members. So I followed them."

"You _what?_" she said louder, now looking at him with disbelief. What was he trying to get himself in to exactly? "Look Draco, you must not tell anybody about this! What were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to see what it was like, Mo-

"Draco! This is by far the most stupidest thing you've done! You cannot simply stroll into one of their missions without permission! Thank all that is holy you weren't spotted." At those words he gulped down a breath full of regret. How was he going to tell her now? Fuck. He looked up at her, unable to speak. She was glaring at him, but she leaned back as realization washed over her emotions. She gasped and looked terrified, staring unbelievably at Draco. What the hell had he done? The family were going to pay very dearly for this.


End file.
